Advocacy Basics
To some, “advocacy” has the perception that some mysterious group is attempting to illegally influence politicians to gain a selfish advantage for themselves. But in a representative democracy, public policy advocacy has become the most practical way to explain the effects of a law on the constituencies of lawmakers. Politicians do not have the inclination, time, or resources to research every public issue that is presented before their legislative body. Public policy advocacy groups fill that void.
As a rule, politicians do not intentionally hurt groups of voters. A strong case should be made for or against a particular governmental policy by illustrating the impact specific laws have on the entire chain of people who have stakes in the business. Then politicians will listen and make informed decisions if they truly understand the consequences of their actions.
It is important to draw a distinction between the terms “lobbying” and “advocacy.” Lobbying is trying to influence governmental policies for private interests. Public Policy Advocacy is attempting to influence governmental policy for the public welfare. Lobbying and Public Policy Advocacy are facts of political life in most industrialized democracies. Even though the news media and some politicians complain about advocates, the fact is public policy advocates provide politicians with the information they must have to make enlightened decisions. At city halls, regional, and national capitals, public policy advocacy groups represent democracy at its best, not its worst. One or more advocacy groups now represent nearly every person in most nations. Unions and professional guilds represent employees, while business people support chambers of commerce and trade organizations. Investors and consumers have their groups. Doctors, reporters, lawyers, poor, middle-class, rich, weak, powerful, religious, fraternal, and civic organizations all have groups representing their views in the halls of government. In a democracy with a market economy, legislative reforms or new ideas must be sold in the political marketplace just like products or services.
The Advocacy Process
It can be difficult to outline a step-by-step approach to advocacy as each campaign may be different depending on the specific issue or relevant stakeholder groups involved. However, there is a certain flow of milestones that will help organize the campaign and lead to success.
| 1.) | Create and advocacy committee |
| 2.) | Identify & Prioritize issues to advocate |
| 3.) | Research proposed solutions |
| 4.) | Develop an overall advocacy strategy |
| 5.) | Establish a budget |
| 6.) | develop targeted advocacy materials |
| 7.) | Apply strategic tools such as direct advocacy, grassroots mobilization, coalition building, etc. |
| 8.) | Follow-up with relevant stakeholders |
| 9.) | Evaluate |
Throughout this process, it is vital that the association maintains communication with the membership. Send them newsletters, legislative updates, and legal research papers filled with reasons for the proposed changes. This helps to educate them on the need for change and creates the basis for mobilizing their grassroots networks to gain public support.
